Author Topic: 6" Black Series Wave 1 (2013 Wave 1)  (Read 40633 times)

Offline Jesse James

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #75 on: August 15, 2013, 12:36 AM »
Saw two full sets of these at two different Targets...  The Sandtrooper would've had me if maybe a couple more pieces of gear (binocs and some extra Pauldrons for variety).  I walked away though...  It's pretty spiffy looking if not a little shiny in the dirt dept.

I really didn't dig Luke at all...  R2 either.  Maul looked decent though, but the Sandtrooper's pretty perfect.
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Offline Qui-Gon Jim

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #76 on: August 15, 2013, 08:47 AM »
Saw these last night.   Walked around Target with a Sandy in my hand but eventually put it back.  $20 and a slippery slope.  If they were $15, I'd be all in. 

Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #77 on: August 15, 2013, 05:13 PM »
If they were $15, I'd be all in.

That's what she said.

They're all up on HTS at this moment.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #78 on: August 15, 2013, 05:55 PM »
Saw another full set at my local K-Mart tonight.
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Offline speedermike

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #79 on: August 18, 2013, 10:27 PM »
I can't do it.  I just can't do it.

Last week I found the 6 inch R2.  I thought he was alright, but very flawed, but I remained excited about finding the other figures.  Yesterday I bought them at the Times Square TRU.  I went home on the bus, and while riding, I lost some enthusiasm towards these.  When I got home I opened the Sandtrooper and I just...kinda had this big pit in my stomach.  I wasn't happy. I left the others boxed and did some stuff around the house.  Later in the night I had decided that I really have no interest in these, and re-boxed the Sandtrooper.  Then it struck me what was bothering me, re-boxing the figure was so easy because it was a collectable, and not a toy.  All my life I have collected SW toys.  I don't like things made specifically to collect.

While I think the sculpts on these are great, there's very little style to them. They just look "real." As an illustrator, I don't hold the ability to make something look real in high regard.  I like it when an artist uses his or her own personality and puts it into something to male it great.  And I also like it when technical limitations cuase sculpters to strip down a design.  For instance, I like the new 5 POA figures because of their simplicity.  I think they are clever and fun. 

I also feel that the 6 inch figures are aiming at a market that I don't click with.  These are fans and collectors who love SW, but also don't want to possibly be seen as childish for their collecting habits.  They want their toys "cool."  (I hope I am not offending anyone here.)  It's almost as if they are ashamed that they collect toys, so they collect things that are slightly more "adult," but then, to me, they are not really toys.  They are collectables.  And I like toys.

I'm going to return these to TRU soon, and I feel good doing so.  I was really looking forward to this line, but my love of the smaller figures, and their toy attributes is too strong. 
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Offline Force Guy

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #80 on: August 19, 2013, 05:11 PM »
Well, the new 6" line certainly isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, and many of us are creatures of habit.  The 3.75" line feels right to many us because we've been collecting it for such a long time.  Why reinvent the wheel, right?  Personally, I love the new 6" line.  Maybe it helps that I don't view the 6" line as a replacement of the 3.75" line, but merely something to augment or supplement my existing collection, much like Gentle Giant, Sideshow, etc.   
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Offline McMetal

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #81 on: August 19, 2013, 05:29 PM »
I picked up R2 to complete my Wave 1 purchases. I had the luxury of picking between 2 on the shelves at Target so I was able to score the lesser of two paint-app evils.  :D

I think part of the appeal to me with this line is it's an easy on-boarding process. (SDCC exclusives aside) It's a manageable # of figures per year and you're not already 20 years behind the curve trying to catch up.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #82 on: August 19, 2013, 07:05 PM »
It's not a 3.75" Line replacement....  yet.  ;)

Honestly I hope it doesn't go that way, but at this stage I think Hasbro may be thinking that direction, soon.  Like, say, 2015 when a new line of figures for a new movie launches, they're all basically 5 POA's and there's a 6" premium line of them for collectors, but 3.75" fans who want articulation above the 1978-1985 standards for the line are SOL.

That's my fear anyway, but I'm hopeful TBS 3.75" picks up steam as Wave 3 and beyond get rolling out, and they hopefully have less of what we already have in the mix, and start getting back to the OT love.

I really wish TBS 3.75" would go like 6" though, with fewer figures overall in a year, and try to do less repaints and let the 5 POA stuff financially supplement this dialed back 3.75" Articulated line for collectors.  I'm alright with TBS's release schedule so far...  I'm really enjoying knowing I won't want anything till Wave 3 is out now since I have Wave 2 on order and my buddy has Luke/Padme for me.

Wave 3 is a ways off, and I like that kind of a gap...  Let the 5 POA line fill in the rest.  I am ok with that, if that's how they're going.

I don't dislike the 6" stuff, though I think some of you are nuts on Luke's headsculpt...  Figures like Han and the Sandtrooper could almost suck me into these though.  But I do fear this replaces collector-targeted 3.75" figures at some point.  I think that's a legitimate concern, going forward.
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Offline Brian

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #83 on: August 19, 2013, 08:46 PM »
I've been thinking the exact same thing Jesse.  We've sort of discussed this in the "future" thread, but I get the feeling the 3 3/4" line is moving towards 5 POA by the time the new movie rolls around as well.  Especially if the 6" line really takes off with collectors.  It seems to be off to a good start, and with Wave 2 including Fett, Solo, and Slave Leia, you could really see the popularity pick up.  We'll see I guess.  They've been selling pretty good here, from what I've seen, but honestly, it seems like anything "new" from SW is selling.  A starved market and all that.

I'm right in line with Jesse's thinking - a scaled by "collector" 3 3/4" line, spaced out, and more focus on OT.  We're at the point where they have really covered so much, and covered it well, that we don't need 50 figures a year here - at $10 a pop.  I'm also picking up the 6" stuff (the OT ones at least, although I do have Maul too), but I'm still a 3 3/4" collector through and through as well and hope we don't see that go away.

I haven't picked up any of the new Legends/Mission Series stuff yet, so I can't speak to their quality.  I don't hate the cheaper, lower articulation idea as much as some do (particularly for figures we already have great versions of anyways), but I think if the paint was as wonky as some have said it would bother me more.  Otherwise, I kind of dig the $6 pricepoint, and the vintage type throwback that line offers.  I'm actually really looking forward to the Han/Chewie and droids packs, as well as that Jedi Luke.  Now, when it comes time for Ep. VII, and it is all new characters (or looks for old characters) I think if everything was 5 POA it would bother me more, but I don't know for sure.  If I'm being honest, unless the quality (sculpt/paint) really took a dive, I think I'd likely still buy some stuff, especially at that lower price.  If they were moving figures like the ROTS days, maybe the price would even drop back to $4.99.

Back to the topic though, I do think Hasbro is gearing (hoping?) that the 6" line will become THE collector line.  We'll have the Legends style for the basic line, and then the 6" collector figures.  Vehicles, beasts, etc. will be exclusives or not much until the movie years start.  We're really going into uncharted territory in a couple of years with new movies each year (at least that's the plan), so we may even have a new "focus" for the action figure line(s) each year.

Offline Nicklab

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #84 on: August 21, 2013, 02:17 PM »
I finally saw the Luke figure in a store yesterday.  This was actually my first sighting of any of the 6" figures thus far.  However, it was in a TRU store that prices their stock higher than other stores.  I was absolutely not going to pay $22.99 for a single figure.

The level of detail, however, was amazing.  Seeing really is believing when you finally see these figures in person.  The packaging looks cool, too.  Still, I'd like to see the other figures in person before pulling the trigger.  $80 for a wave of 4 figures is pricey.
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Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #85 on: August 21, 2013, 04:06 PM »


The level of detail, however, was amazing.  Seeing really is believing when you finally see these figures in person. 

This can't be stated enough. I have 2 sandtroopers from Target and will buy as many as I find at $20. Today I found Maul and Luke also at Target. Maul is thoroughly badass to the bone, and then I opened Luke and realized he was about as good.  I won't buy R2 just because I don't care for the character.

I'm totally sold on this line.  It is fantastic.
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Offline R5Don4

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #86 on: August 21, 2013, 08:57 PM »
I found one of the Sandtroopers at Wal-Mart the other day after weeks of fruitless checking and months of waiting.  What I immediately noticed was the odd pink stains on the armour.  This is because they used a reddish brown wash and as it is a mass produced factory job, it pooled in the deepest recesses creating these unsightly pink stains, under the eyes, on the sides of the mouth and right in the middle of the chest as elsewhere.  No problem for me as I'm now quite familiar with the ways of weathering my own Sandtroopers.  Rather than using Detol or brake fluid to strip off the wash and start from scratch, I decided to cover it up with more weathering, because it is such a rad figure I couldn't wait to get it up to snuff.
I got him all weathered up and he's posed nicely on the shelf.  Painted the small details that you can forgive a factory paint job for leaving off, as well as the pauldron a nice shade of weathered white.  My 3 year old daughter comes and grabs him off the shelf.  She says, "This guy's really dirty!  Look how dirty he is.  He needs a bath to clean him up!  Can we give him a bath to make him clean and white daddy?'
I explain to her that he is supposed to be dirty, because he's a dirty trooper.  Obviously, she is used to seeing my hordes of brilliant white Stormtroopers and want him to fit right in.  Then she notices the ammo pouches.  "Look daddy, he has a purse!"
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Offline Rob

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #87 on: August 23, 2013, 11:14 PM »
I stumbled across a Luke today at TRU... I wasn't that impressed.  Which was a bit of a relief.  So far I'm not seeing any reason to jump into this even though I've contemplated doing OT only - and am still thinking about it.

Offline Paul

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #88 on: August 25, 2013, 10:16 PM »
I snagged R2 and Luke today. 

I wanted to like this line, but as has been stated many times here, it just doesn't "feel" like Star Wars to me. 
I like the figures (choices are meh) I'm just it sure I'm going to get into the line, if I had gotten a Sandtroopers first, I may have a different feeling.

As an aside and an apology to Hasbro, my 5 year old son loves them both and wont even look at his 5 points of Articulation statuettes I got him. He is not their target market, but Luke and R2have been helping the WalMart exclusive Avengers save the universe (den) all day. 
« Last Edit: August 30, 2013, 08:55 PM by Paul »

Offline Darth_Anton

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Re: 6" Black Series - 2013 Wave 1
« Reply #89 on: August 26, 2013, 09:31 AM »
Haven't been looking to hard for these, but when I have, I haven't seen them. They seem to be doing well so far.
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